A Brighter Future and a Better Life
by king of ramen
Summary: A Brick x Blossom fic. Brick wants a chance to start over but can Blossom bring herself to give it to him? I suck at summaries. Just R&R please!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own The Powerpuff Girls or any of its characters and make no money from publishing this story whatsoever. In fact I have almost no money at all so sueing me would be pointless and only result in a loss of your valuable time.

An incredible shockwave rolled through Townsville accompanied by the sonic boom associated with such a blast. A climactic battle was occurring above the city as the warm summer sun descended from the sky and the first stars of twilight began to appear. Blues, reds, and greens clashed as the young heroes and villains fought furiously in mid-air. As blue collided with blue and green clashed with green, the sounds of their battle assaulted the ears of the citizens. "Look, up in the sky! It's the Rowdyruff Boys and the Powerpuff Girls! They're at it again! Go girls!" A single citizen exclaimed this and soon began cheering loudly for the Powerpuffs.

Before long, most of the city had joined in cheering joyously for their saviors. Yes, the city adored their little heroes, though now not so little. It had been a long time since their kindergarten days and they were all older for the passing years. The girls had filled out to varying degrees, Bubbles more so than her sisters in several ways. Long shapely legs, the largest bust of the three, and an air of poise and balance made her quite a beauty. She still wears her hair the same way, but her pigtails start from higher on her head and are longer than before.

Buttercup, much to her own dismay for reasons she refuses to divulge, looks amazing herself. Firm perky breasts and a well rounded rear makes her a looker to say the least, but to top it off she has a lean, well-toned frame with just the right amount of muscle mass to make her look strong but not unfeminine. She too still wears her hair in much the same way that she always has except that the ends are now straight and her hair is parted so that her left eye is covered.

It was Blossom, however, that caught the most attention, though with the exception of a few dates, she ignores it. She has large, yet firm and perky breasts, long shapely legs, a round and supple ass, and all in all a very womanly figure. She still has her long and flowing red hair that now reaches down to her lower back. She even still has the same old hairclip. She looks so elegant and composed that any boy is immediately drawn to her.

To him, though he hated to admit it even to himself, she looked damn near perfect. They still wore their respective colors when in uniform though they opted to wear black spandex shorts under their skirts for practical reasons.

The boys looked older themselves in fact. They no longer wore their old uniforms as the girls do but opted instead for windbreakers of their respective colors and simple faded blue jeans and white sneakers. They looked more like a street gang than a team of super villains now and Brick couldn't help but note how this had always been more accurate than any other title they were saddled with. They never committed any big crimes anymore but instead constantly pulled pranks on the good people and stole anything they needed. Today it had been a nice plasma screen T.V. that Boomer had insisted on. The idiot.

Now here they were, trading blows with the powerpuffs yet again. I am so sick of it.  
The T.V. was broken before we could even get it home because that hothead, Buttercup, couldn't keep from shooting poor Boomer in the back with a laser beam. He, of course, dropped the worthless thing and it broke on the street below. Boomer decided to retaliate without orders and so here we are. I smirk as I dodge a blow from the redhead and look to my brothers. Their looks were more than just deceiving; it was outright ridiculous that they look so mature. They had certainly grown in height, Butch was now around 5 "11 in height and looked the incredible hulk on steroids. OK, maybe not that bad but he was definitely one ripped dude. Thick muscular arms, six-pack abs, a tree-trunk-like body, and a chiseled look about him that screamed muscle-head.

Boomer on the other hand looks like the epitome of all that is skater. His blond hair is long and shaggy, his stormy blue eyes have a relaxed/stoned look in them, and his body is thin and agile in appearance. He is the shortest of us and definitely the thinnest. He has long thin arms and legs with taught and well-toned thin muscles; he demonstrates his amazing speed and agility every time he gets on a skateboard.

Then there is me, Brick, the leader of the Rowdyruff Boys. I believe myself to be in a delicate balance between my two brothers. I'm no weakling for sure. I have thin arms yes but every bit that is there is muscle mass. Thin taught cords of muscle make up my arms and legs making me swift and agile, but at the same time quite strong if I do say so myself. A well-toned chest and broad shoulders combined with a six-pack that is considerably less defined than Butch's but still there. My hair is longer than ever and held in a high ponytail, the tip of which reaches down to my knees. I still wear my red baseball cap backwards and my bangs hang down to just above my eyes. I get some attention from stupid girls that love 'Bad Boys.' More than my brothers, that much, at least, is certain.

Lately I've become discontented with my lot in life. I have become tired of watching people scream and flee in terror from me every time I walk down the street. I'm tired of people booing and hissing at me. I'm tired of always losing in the end. What is the point of taking what you want when someone will always come to try and take it back? My brothers don't understand but surprisingly they are very supportive of me in what I am about to do. They told me that if I went through with it that we would be enemies from that moment on but they would help me get there nonetheless. I was amazed and endlessly grateful to them. They, of course, told me not to get all mushy on them or they would change their mind so I quickly clamed up. I know how they felt though and that is enough.

Well, here goes nothing. I'm going to do it. No turning back now. As Blossom flies at me, fist raised to strike me down, I duck and fly down to the ground, landing with a quiet thud as I crouched so that me legs would absorb the impact of the sudden drop. When I raised myself back up, Blossom was standing in front of me, tapping her black Mary-Jane shoe against the concrete. "What's wrong Brick? Scared?" She taunted and it actually made me laugh. I am capable of destroying her relatively easily in all likelihood. I just never could bring myself to really hurt her for some reason. "What's so funny? Jerk." She growled and that only made me laugh that much harder. "Cut the crap Bloss…. you and I both know I could take you blindfolded." I smirk at her and stare at her with those calm crimson eyes of mine. That always gets her attention for some reason that I can only guess at.

"Yeah whatever…. So if you don't want to fight then what do you want Brick?" I chuckle quietly in that unnerving way of mine and simply continue to smirk and stare at her for several moments before I finally speak. "Blossom, I want a chance." She scoffs and takes a step back, her face full of disbelief and, if I look hard enough, maybe a bit of hope. Then again maybe I'm going crazy. "A chance to what?! Act like a new man and then stab all three of us in the back? I don't think so!" She spits out her reply with disgust and I don't blame her, however I must press on. "Blossom, I don't want to be evil. I mean that with everything I am." "Which is a cheat and a liar and a thief and a-" I cut her off and continue," That isn't the point here, Bloss. I honestly want to turn over a new leaf. I'm tired of everyone screaming in terror and running away every time I walk down the street. I'm tired of mothers hiding their children when I pass by. I'm tired of being treated like a monster." "Brick you can't just expect me to believe that suddenly, out of the blue you want to be one of the good guys! I mean-" "I know…That is why I'm asking to be given a chance to **prove** it. Please." I watch as Blossom sighs with exasperation and looks at her sisters as they fought my brothers. "They're not going to like this, Brick. Especially Buttercup." I nod solemnly to her and look up at my brothers. "Brick, if you really want this then I won't deny it to you. It will take time to gain our trust. Even more time to gain the trust of the rest of Townsville." "I know that Blossom. I just have to try. I want to know what it's like to not be hated and despised by the majority of the world." "OK Brick. Let's start proving it right now. Help us get your brothers under control and we can go from there." She lifts up into the air and I remain where I stand for a brief moment as the light of the setting sun behind her frames her face perfectly, making her seem to glow with a golden light.

At that moment I knew. I could find peace here. I smile at her, and I think it's the first genuine smile I have had in several years. "Sure thing, Blossom." And so I fly after that beautiful redheaded angel, and toward a better life.


	2. Chapter 2

A

A.N./ I'm switching the point of view of this story to third person omniscient because of personal preferences. When I started this fic it was for the purpose of challenging myself to write differently than usual and it was therefore only half-hearted. Now that I have actually gotten a positive review I plan to go full steam ahead with this story. I will now write to the very best of my ability, thanks for your time.

"Butch…. Boomer…Go home. You're outnumbered two to one." Brick floated a few feet away from his brothers, high in the air as he regarded them with a contemptuous glance. The girls floated some distance in the air behind him, arguing loudly. Well Buttercup and Blossom were. Bubbles only looked at them in despair as they squabbled. "He's a Rowdyruff! Nothing will ever change that damn it!" Buttercup argued fiercely against Brick's case. "No Buttercup! Contrary to popular belief, once a bad guy doesn't mean always a bad guy! There's something different about him this time Buttercup…I really think he means it." "The hell he does!" "Buttercup!" Blossom snapped at her sister for her choice of words. "What!?"

Brick shook his head in dismay. "How do they ever get anything done?" He wondered to himself before turning his attention back to his brothers. "I'd rather not get them involved in this…" As he mentioned the girls he jerked his thumb over his shoulder at them for emphasis. "Are you stupid or something, Brick!? We're going to fuck them up so bad that they'll never fucking WALK again let alone fight back for this shitty town!" Butch snapped at his former leader and brother viciously as Boomer just stared at Brick in a detached and uncaring way. As far as he was concerned he simply no longer had a third brother. Instead he had a new enemy to deal with, not that he cared. "I'm sorry to hear that Butch. You'll have to get through me to get to them. We both no you can't do that." Butch's short temper grew shorter still and any understanding that the brothers had come to previously evaporated from his mind.

"We'll see about that you jackass!" Butch charged his brother in blind fury, moving so fast he created a sonic boom behind him that sent the nearby Boomer spiraling away some distance. However, Brick's steely nerves and unending calmness allowed him to simply fly a foot away to the side, avoiding his enraged brother as though it were the simplest thing in the world. This was why he had been their unopposed leader for so long. He could outfight them both if he had to and he could outfight them one at a time without so much as breaking a sweat. The girls turned in silence from about ten yards away to watch the fight, Blossom cheering him on in silence and Buttercup scowling at the sight of Brick doing what he said he would. Brick was fighting _against_ evil instead of with it.

Butch let fly his fists again and again but Brick easily dodged each attack with uncanny agility. Eventually Butch began to tire as sweat poured off of him in miniature rivers. He huffed and scowled at his brother as he bent over slightly, his hands on his muscular thighs. "Hold still damn you!" Brick raised an eyebrow and gave one of those chilling smirks of his that cried out his superiority. "Why would I do that? There's no telling where those hands have been!" Flushing with embarrassment and further rage, Butch charged the new hero again, but was dodged just as easily as before however this time he felt searing hot agony slam into his back and he was blown down toward the ground at an angle. He managed to halt himself about a foot from the ground and looked up to see Boomer smiling smugly up in the air above where they had been and to the far left of Butch who was none too happy that the oaf had gotten in the first shot.

"Damn it." Brick muttered as he gave the blue-eyed boy a dangerous scowl and began to slowly float back up to them. Boomer had always been one to use as little effort as possible to achieve his goals and fighting was no different for him. He always seemed to strike when his opponent was most vulnerable or the most distracted. The charred hole in the back of his shirt and the scorch marks on his back were proof enough of that. When Brick was at last eye-level with his dark haired brother he shot a brief glare at Boomer. His eyes were like red steel and the grinning blond faltered and moved away a few feet.

When Brick returned his attention to Butch he was once again charging at him like a bull, head down and fist pulled back to strike. He let fly his fist and once again was dodged but this time Boomer's energy blast was met by one of equal size and strength from Brick and the two canceled each other out leaving only heated air behind. Brick gave his blue-eyed bother another glare, which conveyed a clear message. _Don't try that again or next time you'll have to pay for it. _Boomer gave a sigh and rested his hands at his sides as he floated down to be level with his siblings.

Brick shook his head in dismay as Butch charged him again. "You always were hard headed, Butch." Brick stepped out of the way but this time raised a leg above his sibling as he began to turn around and Brick brought his foot down on the top of his skull, using about as much energy as he would for a small energy blast to enhance the strength and speed of the blow. The result was a sickening thud caused by the collision of foot with skull that sickened the girls (including buttercup though she only winced while the other two looked horrified) and knocked the green-clad villain out and sent him rushing to meet the asphalt below with startling speed.

Butch's limp form crashed into the street below with a deafening crash that sent shockwaves rolling through the town for about sixty feet, shattering windows. Boomer watched this distractedly like one watches a particularly boring movie and looked at Brick for a long time. It seemed like hours though in truth it was more like two minutes. Eventually he spoke four words and for him it was an amazing epiphany. "I can't beat you…" With that he floated down and lifted his defeated sibling from the wreckage of where he had landed and threw Butch's arm over his own shoulders and struggled up into the air with the burden, Butch's much larger frame dwarfing the blond carrying him. Boomer looked at his former brother with deep sadness written on his face before taking off with his heavy load, eventually disappearing from sight in the distance.

When Brick was completely sure his new allies were safe from the threat of his brothers he finally relaxed and slumped forward, exhausted mentally and physically. The girls slowly flew over to him and stared at him in subtle amazement, aside from Buttercup of course who purposefully avoided looking at him. Smoke rose in little tendrils behind him as he looked up at them and gave a half-smile in Blossom's direction. "How'd I do?" Blossom could barely restrain herself from throwing her arms around him when he smiled at her but she managed not to show it and simply smiled at him in return and nodded. "Excellent, Brick. You displayed excellent tactical ability, amazing agility and speed, and great strength and endurance." Buttercup turned and forced herself to look at the red haired hero-to-be when Blossom mentioned that last part with a look of irritation. "How did you do that?" Brick looked at Buttercup in confusion and remained silent. "The thing with the energy…. when you made you leg stronger." "Oh, that."

Brick gave her an arrogant grin despite the enormous amount of pain radiating from his back in surging waves of agony. "You mean you don't know?"

Buttercup had just begun warming up to the idea of Brick as an ally before he said that. Now she was furious. "If I knew how to do it I wouldn't have asked you! Asshole!" Brick simply continued to give her that arrogant grin of his before finally responding. "Well you see…it's more about skill than anything else so I'd need quite a while to tech you how. I f you could maybe not try to kick my ass for, oh say a month, then I might able to teach you." Buttercup's anger dissipated as her excitement over learning a new fighting technique came over her. "I think I can handle that if you can quit being an evil bastard." "Deal." Brick stated his agreement and started to extend his hand for her to shake before a particularly large wave of agony overwhelmed him and he blacked out. The last things he heard as unconsciousness took him were a few cheers from individual citizens of Townsville and Blossom's panicked voice as he was caught and whisked away somewhere in someone's arms. He smelled summer strawberries and then all was darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

A

A.N./ Welcome to yet another chapter folks! This is only the second story I have ever published and I really didn't expect someone to actually like it! Thanks for the reviews fanficfan001! They're what keep me going. By the way, in the show Butch actually did fight with far more brawns than brains. The only reason he was ever able to take on the girls was because he was one part of a well balanced whole.

Now on with the story!

Brick opened his crimson orbs to an unsettling view. An I.V. machine was near by; the bag of clear fluid hanging from its metal hook was suspended over his head. Beyond this was a simple white ceiling, the paint rippling across the surface like rolling white sand dunes in an enormous desert. Blinking away the bleariness from his eyes he turned his head slowly to look to his left. Blossom was sitting in a simple metal chair that looked highly uncomfortable. She was fast asleep from the look of her, her breathing slow and regular and her head hanging limply so that her bangs were hanging in her face.

He frowned as his drugged mind attempted to assemble the facts that led to the current situation he now found himself in. He recalled turning against the evil that was all he had ever known and in doing so being forced to fight his brothers. He remembered dodging Butch's ungraceful attacks with ease. Brick could also remember Blossom defending him to her sisters and insisting that he truly wanted to turn from evil forever. Following this thought he remembered the searing hot agony he had felt when Boomer had struck him with an energy blast. "That must have been it…worse than I thought though." He choked this out in a horse whisper and Blossom stirred slightly and muttered what could have been his name. Brick listened closely for a few minutes and dismissed it as meaningless mutterings when he heard nothing else from the girl.

With a start Brick realized that Blossom was still in her pink uniform meaning that she likely had not left him since he arrived. Yes, they still wear the same old uniforms except that they now were black athletic shorts underneath their skirts. Upon further consideration he recalled the scent of summer strawberries and began to wonder what she smelled like. "Did she…." He let question trail off meaninglessly in that horse whisper of his again. Blossom stirred at the sound but remained silent. He attempted to sit up and felt stiffness against his back along with a slight twinge of pain that likely would have been maddening if he wasn't drugged. With some effort he lifted the light blanket covering him and saw crisp white bandages running across his chest and behind his back. "At least its not a cast," he muttered and let his arms drop with a cushioned _plop_.

This time Blossom not only stirred but raised her head and looked at him with weary eyes. The dark bags under her normally beautiful bright pink eyes testified to several sleepless nights keeping watch over him. Brick felt a sharp twang of sympathy for the miserable girl in this dreary hospital room and gave her a half-hearted smile. A true smile caused by happiness rather than a sense of superiority or smug overconfidence. "Since your awake, how long have I been out?" Brick croaked as Blossom offered a ghost of a smile in return. "About three days." She said this without the usual matter-of-factly tone in which she usually answered a question. Instead she sounded relieved. "Three days!" He exclaimed, causing his voice to crack and make him sound squeaky. Brick was looking at her with shock and dismay, reluctant to believe what he heard. Blossom giggled slightly at the sound of him before nodding her head in confirmation. She found herself thinking of his puberty and how ridiculous the three boys had looked and sounded. This evoked another small bout of quiet giggles from her causing Brick to raise an eyebrow questioningly. "What?" He rasped and she shrugged, quickly falling silent.

Brick was about to say something when the professor opened the door and walked in to stand beside his daughter, leaving the door open behind him. The professor looked much the same as he always had. Short black hair that was always neat and well kept, a clean-shaven face, and he still always wore his crisp white lab coat and black pants. However there was a bit of gray flecked into that black hair and a few more defined worry-lines ran across his face. The professor stared at Brick as though he were some weird experiment for a few minutes before opening his mouth to speak. "I must admit Brick… You don't seem as evil these days." A long silence stretched after this statement as Blossom looked at the professor with embarrassed chagrin and Brick looked at him with nervousness. "Um…Thanks?" Brick ventured to break the silence. The professor simply nodded and continued to regard Brick with a calculating look. "Dad?"

Blossom questioned anxiously.

The professor turned to his daughter and smiled before returning a solemn face to Brick. "There are things we must discuss Brick. In private." The mayor who now wore a simple black suit with a red tie, walked in as the professor made this statement and nodded in agreement with him. The mayor still wore his rather small top hat on his now completely bald head and it nearly fell off as he nodded. "Indeed." Over the years the Mayor had grown increasingly competent until at last he was able to run the city without Ms. Bellum having to look over his shoulder all the time. At length she had managed to feel confident enough in him to take a much-needed vacation. He is still, however, unable to open a pickle jar.

"Yeah, yeah. I hear you… See you later red?" Brick looked at Blossom questioningly and she nodded in acknowledgement. "My name is Blossom…and that's fine Brick." Brick smiled to himself as he watched her get up and leave, the door clicking shut quietly behind her. The professor and Mayor looked at the ex-villain seriously and Brick returned their stares with an equally serious look of his own. "So what do you two want?" The mayor was the first to speak and he did so slowly and clearly so that there was little chance for him to be misheard. (Something he had picked up for his speeches.) "Brick, this is quite an unsettling turn of events… Surely you understand this. We can't simply just let you roam the streets unchecked, fighting crime and delivering justice at whim. How do we know that so much time in such corrupting surroundings hasn't permanently altered your perception of right and wrong? For all we know you could be a walking time-bomb!" Brick nodded his understanding and the professor just watched Brick's reactions and listened from his place in the chair Blossom had been sitting in. The mayor closed the door and moved away from it to stand at Brick's bedside.

"I understand your problem Mayor, sir. Perhaps you could monitor me somehow?" The mayor nodded and smiled at Brick's quick and intelligent response. "We considered this but in all honesty even if we did find out you were dealing out false justice we simply lack the power to bring you in." Brick considered this for a moment then nodded. "So you need someone of equal or greater power to watch me." Both the professor and the mayor nodded and responded in unison. "Correct." The mayor continued and noted how different the boy sitting in this hospital bed seemed from the trouble-making youth that had terrorized the town for so many years. "The professor here has agreed to let you enroll in his new university and one of the girls has agreed to let you share an apartment with her near there. Now to lay out the stipulations of this little probationary period…" "It's Blossom isn't it?" Brick interrupted and both of the older men in the room frowned slightly. The boy seemed a bit **too** quick for comfort. "Yes." The professor responded a little stiffly and the mayor went on. "The main thing is that you are under **no** circumstances to fight crime without at least one of the girls to observe you doing so. The second thing is that their word will **always **be taken over yours in their reports unless one contradicts the other."

"For example," The professor began, "Bubbles says that you killed a criminal but Blossom says that did not happen at all. In that case it will be up to you to plead your case to one or both of us and present any evidence you have." Brick nodded his agreement and both men nodded in return. "If this goes well Brick then I will declare you to be one of Townsville's heroes and you'll be free to pretty much do as you please." The mayor said this with the slightest ghost of a smile. The professor smiled more openly as he spoke. "I know you won't disappoint us Brick." "And just how do you know that?" Brick asked his question curiously. "Because you simply aren't the same person you used to be." As the men moved to leave the professor spoke one more comment as he left. "See you at class on Monday."

Brick lay in bed contemplating everything the men had aid and smiled to himself as thoughts of a certain red haired heroine entered his mind. Sleep took him after an hour or so without any struggle from the eight-teen-year-old hero to be.


End file.
